Wait, it's NEWS that cats try to get attention by purring? Silly me, using my common sense n' crap.

I could have told you that cats control you.
"Cats 'exploit' humans by purring"

"Researchers at the University of Sussex have discovered that cats use a "soliciting purr" to overpower their owners and garner attention and food.
Unlike regular purring, this sound incorporates a "cry", with a similar frequency to a human baby's.
The team said cats have "tapped into" a human bias - producing a sound that humans find very difficult to ignore."